By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA – The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has intensified efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital governance framework, training Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on data protection as cyber threats rise alongside the expansion of e-government services.

The five-day hands-on capacity-building programme is to equip technical personnel in government institutions with practical skills required to implement appropriate measures in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

Speaking at the programme in Abuja on Monday, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said Nigeria’s digital push, driven largely by private sector innovation, has reached a critical stage where data protection can no longer be delayed.

Olatunji said the Federal Government has accelerated digitalisation across public institutions, with about 35 ministries set to be fully digitised and over 100 agencies already integrated into online service delivery systems.

He traced the country’s digital journey to the 2001 national IT policy, noting that subsequent frameworks have led to widespread adoption of e-governance, enabling seamless interaction between government, citizens and businesses.

The NDPC boss said increasing integration across agencies such as the NCC, NIPC, CAC and Immigration has improved service delivery, but warned that such connectivity exposes systems to cyber attacks.

He disclosed that government platforms are already facing persistent threats, underscoring the urgency of building strong data protection systems and skilled personnel to safeguard sensitive information.

“When we were witnessing a series of attacks in various ministries and departments, I warned my colleagues. I said we were going to be attacked. Within one week, we experienced more than 2,000 attempts on our service portal. You can imagine what that means. That can lead to a lot of unpleasant situations. Because some may do it just for the fun of it. Some may do it to embarrass government. Some may do it for military purposes. They hold you for ransom,” he said.

He stressed that all public institutions act as data controllers and must implement both technical and organisational safeguards, supported by skilled personnel, to protect databases and digital services.

Highlighting progress, he said compliance with data privacy laws in the public sector, which was four per cent when the commission was established has risen to over 20 per cent, with more agencies now allocating budgets for data protection and appointing data protection officers. He added that efforts are ongoing to train Permanent Secretaries of ministries.

Speaking to participants on emerging opportunities, he added: “There is a new career path in this ecosystem that is emerging. So, I call myself a Data Protection Officer. If you don’t want to do that, you can become a licenced Data Protection Compliance Officer, where you can even be licenced to start practising as a data protection expert.”